By Wendy Bounds

What’s striking is how old-school the jobs they’re still trying to land sound: lifeguarding, baking pizza. There’s a missed opportunity here: helping small businesses fix their Internet presence–and just being entrepreneurial.

Teens today understand the Web, coding and social networking the same way their Dads understood how to fix a lawn mower. Many small businesses – especially the shops that hire kids to deliver pizza or clerk – don’t have time to pursue online opportunities. But they know they need to.

Job-hunting teens can suggest working on a contract basis to help local shops beef up their Web presence. It’s easy enough with a search engine to see who needs help online. These are skills that teens can boast over many adults. They can charge less, squeeze it in during camp and even help businesses figure out how to drum up new clients through Facebook and MySpace communities. A one-time fee may be more appealing to businesses than locking into a set wage all summer.

Anyone who doubts the potential wealth or fame that a good idea can bring someone young need look no further than Alex Tew, who made $1 million selling “pixels” to get college tuition.

And if the Internet isn’t your kid’s thing, entrepreneurship has many facets. Ms. Shellenbarger’s column mentions a skateboarder who made $700 collecting household hazardous waste and hauling paint cans, oil and other items to a recycling facility at $3 per item. Everyone’s going green: Figure out ways to help them do it. And don’t forget about the dog-poop business model: When the sun starts beating down, who in the neighborhood doesn’t want that?

What’s the most creative job your kid ever landed? Has your child used the Internet to make money? And if you’re a teen reading this, what’s your ideal job?

Comments (5 of 22)

I finally decided to read one of these articles in an internet
newsgroup describing how to make $50,000.00 in only one month from a $5.00 investment.

Of course I thought this was ridiculous ,or some type of pyramid. Im the type of person whos tried all online surveys and found out that it doesn't work. But, hey, what’s $5.00.

Markus Valppu says he made $57,883 in four weeks. Dave Manning claims he made $53,664 in the same amount of time. Dan Shepstone says it was only $17,000 for him. Do I know these folks? No, but when I read how they say they did it, it made sense to me. Enough sense that I'm taking a similar chance with $5 of my own money. Not a big chance, I admit--but one with incredible potential, because $5 is all anyone ever invests in this system. Period. That's all Markus, Dave, or Dan invested, yet their $5 netted them tens of thousands of dollars each, in a safe, legal, completely legitimate way.

Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:

STEP 1. Invest your $5 by writing your name and address on five
separate pieces of paper along with the words: "PLEASE ADD ME TO YOUR MAILING LIST." (In this way, you're not just sending a dollar to someone; you're paying for a legitimate service.) Fold a $1 bill, money order, or bank note inside each paper, and mail them by standard U. S. Mail to the following five addresses:

STEP 2. Now remove the top name from the list, and move the other names up. This way, #5 becomes #4 and so on. Put your name in as the fifth one on the list.

STEP 3. Post the article to at least 200 newsgroups. There are at least 17000 newsgroups at any given moment in time. Try posting to as many newsgroups as you can. Remember the more groups you post to, the more people will see your article and send you cash!

STEP 4. You are now in business for yourself, and should start seeing returns within 7 to 14 days! Remember, the internet is new and huge. There is no way you can lose.

Now here is how and why this system works: Out of every block of 200 posts I made, I got back 5 responses. Yes, that’s right, only 5. You make $5.00 in cash, not checks or money orders, but real cash with your name at #5. Each additional person who sent you $1.00 now also makes 200 additional postings with your name at #4, 1000 postings. On average then, 50 people will send you $1.00 with your name at #4,....$50.00 in your pocket! Now these 50 new people will make 200 postings each with your name at #3 or 10,000 postings. Average return, 500 people= $500. They make 200 postings each with your name at #2= 100,000 postings=5000 returns at $1.00 each=$5,000.00 in cash! Finally, 5,000 people make 200 postings each with your name at #1 and you get a return of $50,000 before your name drops off the list. And that's only if everyone down the line makes only 200 postings each! Your total income for this one cycle is $55,000. From time to time when you see your name is no longer on the list, you take the latest posting you can find and start all over again. The end result depends on you. You must follow through and repost this article everywhere you can think of. The more postings you make, the more cash ends up in your mailbox. It's too easy and too cheap to pass up!!!

8:48 am March 29, 2010

Julius wrote :

Ooops. I'm sorry call me at 585-232-1863

8:46 am March 29, 2010

Julius wrote :

I am in desperate need of a job. I am 15 years old, and I work really hard. Can you find some work for me

I agree that teens are more than capable of designing websites and other creative ideas. In fact all the companies that list jobs on my a href=http://www.teenjobscene.com/>teen jobs site are looking for creative teens.http://teenjobscene.com could be a good resource for your readers